Chelsea will be mobbed in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta, unlike when the club travelled to the United States after Mourinho had first arrived at Stamford Bridge.

First time around: Jose Mourinho celebrates after securing the 2004-05 Premier League title (Photo: Getty)

“The first time I went to the States, in 2004 with Chelsea for pre-season, the training ­session was open-door and there were 10 kids,” said Mourinho.

“Nobody cared when we walked in the street. Maybe somebody said, ‘Oh, Frank Lampard’, but no more than that.

“After two years with the boom of the ­economic impact of the owner, buying the players, winning the Premier League and reaching the Champions League semi-finals, things changed.

“We went to the States again and had an open training session. This time, there were three or four thousand watching in Los ­Angeles.

“Chelsea have a different history to clubs like Barcelona, Real and Bayern. This club had a history before Mr Abramovich arrived and has a history after 2004.

“But the reality of that recent history of nearly 10 years is that Chelsea have won more trophies than Manchester United.

Time is ticking: The new Chelsea boss will begin pre-season training this week (Photo: Action)

“I hope I can now help the club to take ­another step in the right direction.”

Chelsea were Europe’s big spenders during Mourinho’s first reign, but he now faces rich competition from upwardly mobile overseas clubs and in England.

Mourinho has to compete with Paris ­Saint-Germain, Monaco and Manchester City for football’s biggest stars, but the 50-year-old enjoys the challenge.

And it seems Mourinho has been told he must give some of Chelsea’s youngsters a chance, rather than simply splashing the cash in a bid for instant success.

“I think it’s very motivational, it ­demands more from you,” said Mourinho. “You have to think more about every decision, every move. Every wrong move you make has an influence in the future.

“You need to work more closely with the board, you have to have a different ­perspective and different look at the players on loan and from the youth football.

“It’s more global. Instead of focusing ­yourself just on your team and your targets and ­ambitions, it’s an overall view. It’s a different profile of job. I’m happy and I’ll enjoy it.”

Five to tackle

Sunday Mirror chief football writer Matt Law identifies the five Ts that Mourinho must tackle as he starts work with his Chelsea squad.

Fernando Torres

Should he stay or should he go? Finding a buyer won’t be easy, but Mourinho needs to make a firm decision on Torres. He’s either in his team, or out the door.

John Terry

The Chelsea captain is entering the final year of his contract. The saga over Frank Lampard’s new deal rumbled on far too long, but Mourinho will need to weigh up what role Terry can play in his squad.

Total football

Roman Abramovich dreams of Chelsea emulating the Barcelona style and signed Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Oscar with that in mind. But Mourinho has previously been a win-at-all-costs manager. The two men will need to find a compromise.

Team spirit

Mourinho instilled an incredible winning mentality into his last Chelsea squad and will want this group of players to display a similar spirit. He cannot afford the type of dressing-room disharmony that led to his departure from Real Madrid.

The Bridge

Chelsea were never beaten at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League during Mourinho’s first reign as manager. The club’s incredible home form was the foundation of their success and the Portuguese will want to make it similarly difficult for visiting opposition this time.